Hitman 2: Sniper Assassin (Xbox One) Review

The mission available for Sniper Assassin is set in Austria, and it sees Agent 47 tasked with the job of eliminating three targets, who are members of the crime organisation, the Yardbirds. The first target, Dorian Lang, an esteemed member of the group, is celebrating his daughter's wedding day, which is being held at the second target's mansion, Guillaume Maison. Doris Lee is also attending the wedding, and she rounds out the three targets who are on the hitlist for Agent 47.

There is a 15-minute countdown clock that visualises the window of opportunity for conducting these kills. Doris Lee is expected to leave the wedding within 15 minutes of arriving at the wedding, as she does not intend to stick around for the celebrations. Agent 47 is perched atop a cliffside that overlooks the mansion and the surrounding gardens upon which the wedding is being held. What then follows is 15 minutes of the various characters interacting with each and mingling about in typical Hitman style.

Unlike other mainline entries, Agent 47 does not have the freedom to just wander around the environment and disguise himself as one of the many different "service" people, such as a gardener or a cleaner. Instead, Agent 47 must use his sniper rifle to take out each of the three targets, as well as their 15 bodyguards who are also trying to protect the perimeter and are on high alert. However, this very much follows the same principles as the mainline games in that planning and timing is key to successfully completing the mission.

One wrong move, or a misfire, is enough to alert the civilians, as well as the targets, to the Agent's presence. If they become aware of the hit-attempt, the three targets will begin their quick escape, and Agent 47 must then assassinate the moving targets before any of them manages to escape, upon which the mission will be failed if any of them do indeed break free. Also, following suit with what is expected from the series, is that there are many different fun and unique ways to kill the targets, and Sniper Assassin allows Agent 47 to get creative with these kills.

Shoot the sprinklers to cause them to turn on, while shooting the nearby in-ground light fixture will set off an electric shock, killing those on the grass. Shoot the chandelier to cause it to fall, thus crushing the targets, while the statue in the maze or the nearby speakers can also be used to either create distractions or crush the unsuspecting folk. There are extra challenges on hand, as well, for those who wish to replay this mission and achieve all the different kill parameters and missions.

Agent 47 can use his "Instinct," which greys out the scenery and colour codes the three key targets in red, while the 15 bodyguards are coded in orange to better differentiate them from the civilians. While the "Instinct" used in other games has a limited supply, Sniper Assassin allows Agent 47 to use it for an unlimited amount of time. Time slows down to a crawl, allowing for Agent 47 to better ascertain everybody's positions to better plan his moves, or he can use it to slow down time to better land his killing headshot.

The mission can either be attempted in solo-play, or with a friend in online co-op, which is a first for the series; however, due to the game's system of wanting to have the missions attached to an online leaderboard, Sniper Assassin cannot be played offline. It does require an always-online Internet connection, even for the single-player mode, which is unfortunate for those who may not have access to an always-on Internet source or those that suffer from poor connections.